Digital identity differs from traditional identity because proximity or physical presence are no longer necessary for the different parties to recognise each other. Given its digital nature, digital identity can also contain other types of information in addition to personal data, such as, the online interactions of the business or individual. Smartphones, due to the technology they contain and the fact that they have become peoples’ constant companion may play a key role in the area of digital identity: there are many people who have the device always to hand, even more so than their wallet. The technological characteristics combined with this unique position smartphones have in peoples’ lives makes the smartphone an extremely useful and adaptable device for managing identities, not just digital identity, but also physical identity.
The potential fields of application for mobile identity are many, but they have not yet been fully developed. Only a few countries and some industries have started to tackle the topic assertively. This report analyses the development opportunities linked to Mobile Identity, understood as the use of the smartphone as an authentication tool for the user. The first part of this report presents some definitions and classifications of the possible areas of use. This is followed by a series of international services that are already active and applied in diverse fields, in addition to some success stories in Estonia and Sweden.
- What type of identities are there?
- What is a digital identity?
- What role can smartphones play in the world of digital identity?
- What are the main fields of application for mobile identity?
- What mobile identity services are already available around the world?
- Identity vs digital identity
- Classification of identities
- Potential areas of use
- Estonia and Sweden: national success stories